Rock Island High School

Rock Island High School
Excellence Every Day
Location
Rock Island, Illinois United States
Coordinates	41°29′13″N 90°34′39″W / 41.486937°N 90.577544°WCoordinates: 41°29′13″N 90°34′39″W / 41.486937°N 90.577544°W
Information
Type	Public
Established	1936
School district	Rock Island-Milan School District No. 41
Dean	Mr. Jadiem Wilson (A-L) Mrs. Katie Hartzler (M-Z) Mr. Michael Hawley (9th gr.)
Principal	Mr. Eric Moore, Principal Mrs. Michelle Lillis, Assistant Principal Mrs. Karla Thies, Assistant Principal
Faculty	160
Grades	9–12
Number of students	1601 (per 2010-2011)
Campus type	High School
Color(s)	Crimson, Gold
Athletics conference	Western Big 6
Mascot	Rocks
Website	Rock Island High School

Rock Island High School, also known as "Rocky", is a public four-year high school located in Rock Island, Illinois, United States. Rocky is within the Rock Island-Milan School District No. 41, and the school colors are crimson and gold.

Administration

Principals

• Mr. Eric Moore Principal
• Mrs. Michelle Lillis, Assistant Principal
• Mrs. Karla Thies, Assistant Principal

Deans

• Mr. Jadiem Wilson, Students A-L
• Mrs. Katie Hartzler, Students M-Z
• Mr. Michael Hawley, Freshman Academy Coordinator

Other Administrators

• Mr. Robert Smith, President, RIEA
• Mr. Bryan Stortz, Athletic Director and Head Football Coach

Technology

The library contains two computer labs, powered by Apple iMac computers. Each teacher has an Apple MacBook laptops, and Promethean boards are found throughout the building. In addition, seven different computer labs are available, powered by both Apple OS X and Microsoft Windows. Also many teachers are being supplied with iPads to use for educational purposes.

Academic Programs

The high school has a strong academic program, with multiple honors and AP classes available.

Honors and AP Classes

• Honors English 9-11
• AP College English
• Honors Chemistry
• Honors Physics
• Honors Biology II
• Honors Algebra II
• Honors Geometry
• Honors Pre-Calculus
• AP Calculus I
• AP Statistics
• AP American History
• AP European History
• AP Psychology

Music Programs

• Marching Band
• Jazz Band
• Concert Band
• Symphonic Band
• Concert Choir
• Symphonic Choir
• Chamber Choir
• Orchestra

Foreign Language

• French
• German
• Spanish

Elective Programs

• Graphic Design
• CAD/Drafting
• Welding
• Career Center Training (at United Township High School)
• Ceramics

Activities

Rock Island High School participates in the Illinois High School Association and is a member of the Western Big 6 Conference. Rock Island High School seeks to provide an array of activities to engage each student in finding their true passion.

Sports

The Rock Island Swim Team won its first Sectional Championship in more than 20 years this March. The Rocks won the IHSA 3A Boys' Basketball championship on March 19, 2011. They defeated the Centralia Orphans by a score of 50-40 in double overtime. The Rock Island Girls' Track team also grooms multiple state qualifiers and has won numerous contests.

The Rocks have also won the IHSA Speech sectional for 11 years in a row, which has qualified them for the Illinois State Championship in speech, a contest that has no class divisions. The Speech Team has been recognized as one of the key players in the State Tournament for more than 20 years.

In Music

The band was named an Illinois All-State Honor Band in 2013 by the Illinois Music Education Association. Under the direction of Peter Carlin, the Pride of Rock Island Marching Band has ranked among the best in the state and represented themselves as the premier marching band of the Quad Cities. The program consistently produces more ILMEA All-State musicians than any other in the immediate region.

Of the three choirs, the Chamber Singers are recognized throughout the Quad Cities for their Christmas tour. Further, the Chamber Singers are requested at many charitable events. Under the direction of Scott Voigt, the program constantly produces high numbers of ILMEA District 2 choir members, as well as All-State singers.

Rock Island Public Schools Stadium and Almquist Field

Rock Island High School has an on-campus stadium, the Rock Island Public Schools Stadium, with a seating capacity of nearly 16,000. Within the stadium, Almquist Field is surfaced with an AstroTurf artificial turf.

The Rock Island High School Auditorium

The beating heart of Rock Island High School is its theatre. The community is privileged to have a 1930s Art Deco Auditorium. The lower seating capacity is 1000 persons. The upper capacity is 500 persons. The proscenium measures 50 feet. Needed Rigging Improvements were just the beginning of a project to revitalize this diamond in the rough. In time with community initiatives the theater will again be the state-of-the-art venue it once was.

Notable alumni

• Alan M. Garber, MD, PhD (1973) Provost of Harvard University, Mallinckrodt Professor of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School, Professor of Economics in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Professor of Public Policy in the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management in the Harvard School of Public Health. http://www.provost.harvard.edu/people/bio_agarber.php
• Brian W. McRae (1975) Six time Emmy Award winning Lighting Designer. Credits include... "The Tonight Show" starring Johnny Carson, "Days of Our Lives", and "Guiding Light".
• Marcus Ward Lyon, Jr. (1893): zoologist, bacteriologist, and pathologist; president of the American Society of Mammalogists (1931–1933)^[1]
• Charles Carpenter (Lt. Col.): highly decorated Second World War artillery observation pilot nicknamed Bazooka Charlie; destroyed several German armored vehicles in his bazooka-equipped Piper L-4 Cub/Grasshopper light observation aircraft, christened Rosie the Rocketeer.^[2][3]
• Joel D. Collier (1949) is a former head coach for the Buffalo Bills and defensive coordinator, most notably with the Denver Broncos.^[4]
• Steve Decker - former MLB catcher. Manager of the Connecticut Defenders (AA affiliate of the San Francisco Giants-Eastern League)
• Susann McDonald (1953) is a classical harpist and professor of music. In 1989, she founded the USA International Harp Competition.
• Pete Mickeal (1996) is a professional basketball player, currently playing for Regal FC Barcelona.^[5][6]
• Don Nelson is a former professional basketball player and coach. His 1335 victories as a head coach is the all-time record for a head coach in NBA history.^[7][8][9]
• Gary Payton (1966) is a former astronaut who flew aboard the space shuttle Discovery as a part of mission STS-51-C.^[10][11]
• Chasson Randle, college basketball player for Stanford University.^[12]
• Mark Schwiebert (1968) is the former mayor of Rock Island (1989–2009).^[13]
• Jonathan Tweet class valedictorian in 1983, game designer, author of Grandmother Fish, blogger^[14]
• Austin Wheatley (1995) is a former professional football player who briefly played for the New Orleans Saints in 2000.^[15][16]
• Sara Von Gillern - Starred on the FOX show, So You Think You Can Dance.
• Dennis D. Williams (1972) - President United Auto Workers June 2014 – Present

References

1. Just, T. (1942). "Marcus Ward Lyon, Jr. 1875–1942". American Midland Naturalist. 27 (3): ii–xv. JSTOR 2420912.
2. What's New in Aviation: Piper Cub Tank Buster, Popular Science, Vol. 146 No. 2 (February 1945) p. 84
3. Carpenter, Leland F., Piper L-4J Grasshopper, Aviation Enthusiast Corner, retrieved 21 October 2011
4. Bell, Taylor (19 August 2010), "Laying Down Roots", Chicago Sun-Times (Chicago, IL, USA), retrieved 7 November 2010, Many others had successful careers in college and the NFL, including ... Joe Collier (Rock Island, 1949)
5. Batterson, Steve (26 June 2009), "Rock Island's Mickeal gets his own day", Quad City Times (Davenport, IA, USA), retrieved 7 November 2010, Mickeal was an all-state player at Rock Island, a national junior college player of the year during the second of two national championship seasons at Indian Hills and an honorable mention all-American after a standout senior season at Cincinnati in 2000.
6. "MICKEAL, PETE". statistics & biographical info. Euroleague Basketball. 6 November 2010. Retrieved 7 November 2010. played high-school basketball at Rock Island HS ...
7. Doxsie, Don (7 April 2010), "Rock Island grad Nelson surprises old friends with NBA record run", Quad City Times (Davenport, IA, USA), retrieved 7 November 2010, When Don Nelson was starring on the basketball court for three seasons at Rock Island High School from 1955 to '58 ... They certainly never imagined that Nelson someday would win more games in the NBA than anyone who came before him.
8. "Don Nelson". statistical and biographic info. Basketball Reference.com. 6 November 2010. Retrieved 7 November 2010. High School: Rock Island in Rock Island, Illinois
9. Dyer, Bob (3 September 1983), "Don Nelson, University of Iowa, 1983", Des Moines Register (Des Moines, IA, USA), retrieved 7 November 2010, Don Nelson has been surprising the so-called experts throughout his playing and coaching career. After his senior year in high school at Rock Island, Ill., no major basketball powers beat a path to his door.
10. "BIOGRAPHICAL DATA: Gary E. Payton (Major, USAF)". biographical sketch. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). January 1985. Retrieved 7 November 2010. Graduated from high school in Rock Island, Illinois, in 1966
11. Turner, Jonathan (1999). "Payton recalls heady days in space program". Quad Cities Online (service of Moline Dispatch/Argus, Moline, IL, USA). Retrieved 7 November 2010. After graduating from Rock Island High School in 1966, and spending a year at Bradley University, Mr. Payton entered the U.S. Air Force Academy ...
12. "Chasson Randle Stanford bio". Stanford Cardinal. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
13. "Announcement: Guests Welcome at our next meeting Weds., August 15, Noon at the Fortune Garden FEATURING: Mark Schwiebert, Mayor of Rock Island" (PDF). newsletter. Rotary Club of Bettendorf, IA, USA. 8 August 2007. Retrieved 7 November 2010. Mark was born in Moline, Illinois to Lloyd A. and Olive E. Schwiebert. He attended Rock Island public schools, graduating from Rock Island High School in 1968.
14. Turner, Jonathan. "RI native raising money for kids' book on evolution". QConline. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
15. "NFL All-Time Players: Austin Wheatley". National Football League. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
16. "86 - Austin Wheatley". statistics & biographic sketch. Hawkeyesports.com/CBS Sports Interactive. 7 November 2010. Retrieved 7 November 2010. High School: Rock Island HS